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Hellcat Squadran: The Past
This story is going to be written PRIMARILLY by IceBite. It is about Leinad 'IceBite' Llehctim's Life leading up to the formation to Hellcat Squadran. Several other characters, such as Tartorus, Winter, and Tory Lund are also introduced. Chapter 1: How It Began December 25, 1990 Vladimir Llehctim looked outside the window of the small house he was living in. For a while, he and his wife, the former US weapons scientist Elizabeth Ilene, were being hunted by creatures from the future trying to destroy them. They were forced to move from their home in Nevada, send their 3-year old daughter to live with relatives in Utah, and they themselves take their son and move to the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. "Vlad," Elizabeth said, "I don't think they have found us. They haven't known we were here so what makes you think they do now?" "I'm sure I heard something," Vladimir responded, "I'm sure of it this time." Elizabeth just nodded her head and went back to caring for Leinad their 1 year old son. For a baby, Leinad was quite advanced: he already was walking (of course he almost stumbles every couple steps). Plus, he sounds as if he was trying to speak every once in a while. They were hoping that their existence in this far corner of the world in the middle of no-where would remain hidden. ---- Tartarus, the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, was on a special mission for the Prophets. He and some soldiers were sent from their own time in 2550 to the late 20th Century to take out a pair of scientists: one a searcher for Ancient Relics and the other a Weapons Developer. The 2 have been evading Tartarus and his troops for some time, however, he found information that told him where the scientists were, and this time, they would be unable to escape. ---- The first sign of the approach of the Alien hunters was the howl of their anti-grav engines. "They're coming!" Vladimir called, "Quickly, take Leinad and hide him!" Elizabeth immediately scooped up Leinad and took him to a room in the back of the building. Then, the door flew open, revealing a mix of Gorilla and Lizard-Like creatures. Vladimir tried to block the Hallway where his wife and son ran, but the lead alien fired spikes at Vladimir. Only several scraps of flesh remained. "One down," Tartarus said, as he went down the hallway into the room with the second scientist. Tartarus immediately fired a spike, piercing the female scientist's heart, killing her instantly. "Finally," Tartarus said, and then he spotted the child. "So, the scientists had a brood," the Chieftain said, "Maybe I should......" Then one of the Reptilian Sangheili Special Ops Troops stepped forward, “Stop, Tartarus, or do you really want to disobey the Prophets?" "What do you mean by that, Rtas 'Vadumee? There is no order against killing a baby," Tartarus snarled. "Actually," the Special Ops Elite said, before pressing a button on his gauntlet. Immediately, the voice of the Prophet of Mercy sounded, "Your orders are to kill only the 2 scientists. The killing of any other humans will be noted as heresy." When the Hierarch's voice ended, the Sangheili wore a smug look. Reluctantly, the Chieftain lowered his weapon and said, "Fine." The Brute stormed from the building, his troops following, leaving the child alone. Then, the Covenant Phantom returned to its point of origin and returned to its own time. ---- Herol Norell was the son of a British shop-owner. He and his family have a fairly modest amount of money, but do go on vacation every few years. This year they went to the Aleutian Island. Herol left to explore the Outskirts of the town that his family was staying in. However, one day, he found a small house, with its door blown open. He got his parents and went inside. Inside the room closest to the door, in front of the only hallway, was a mixture of pieces of flesh and several metallic spikes. Immediately, Herol ran down the hallway, his parents calling him to come back. When he reached the hallway, he called back to his parents, "Come here, quick!" He found a woman, with a spike pierced through her heart, with a small 1 year old child pushing his mother's dead body. However, the child's face wore a sad, hopeless expression. He wanted comfort, but knew that his parents couldn't provide it, and won't be able to ever again. "What should we do?" Herol's father, Jonathan, asked his wife Lucy. "Well, we can't just leave him here!" she responded. Jonathan though for a moments, and finally decided, "I guess we'll have to take him with us." Herol walked up to the little kid. He put a hand on the child's shoulder. The little kid looked up, his face covered in tears. "Come with us," Herol said, "We'll take care of you." The kid looked back at his mother, and Herol said, "She's......dead." The little kid looked down. Although thinking this to be a futile move, Herol asked, "What's your name?" The kid tried to talk, his words sounding babbled, but was able to sound out, "Lein..ad...Lleh..c..tim." "Well," Jonathan said, "we'll take care of you Leinad." Lucy walked over and picked up the little boy. Jonathan looked back at the mother. He knew that the person was the well-known US Scientist Elizabeth Ilene, meaning the pieces of flesh in the hallway were the Russian Archaeologist Vladimir Llehctim. And he knew that they were murdered. He and his family, with the kid Leinad in tow, returned to their hotel, preparing to go home with the new member of the family. Chapter 2: Change June 29 1998 2:30 PM "Leinad!" Jonathan Norell called to his Foster-Son, "I need your help." A few seconds later, Leinad Llehctim, now 8, almost 9, years old, called, "Be down in a minute!" Jonathan thought bitterly to himself, "I've had a few strong, smart boys, and it’s the youngest, and one that isn't even my own son, that's the handyman around here." It's been 8 years since the Christmas Day Jonathan's oldest son found Leinad Llehctim near his mother's dead body. Since then, Jonathan and his family had adopted the young boy. He proved to love to learn, as when he got home from school, he would go to his room and study and experiment. He did this for so long, that even though he was still only a young kid, he would be accepted to Oxford if they didn't know his age. He also did play. One of Jon’s sons, Bryan, used to play tag and other games kids usually played with Leinad. However, Leinad would out-run, out-turn, and out-last Bryan. Bryan was a good sport, but, eventually, he got sick of losing so he stopped playing. One other thing Jon thought of as weird was that despite the fact Leinad grew up in Britain, he still developed an American Accent. Jon heard a thumping on the staircase, followed by a pause, and then a louder thump. Jonathan knew it was probably Leinad hopping over the rail again. A second later, the young Foster-child entered the room. "So, what's up?" Leinad asked. "Well," Jon began. He was completely embarrassed with the fact he had to ask Leinad to help with this, but still he said, "The Refrigerator broke." Leinad looked at his foster-father suspiciously and asked, "How long did you wait to tell?" Jon was silent for a moment. Leinad was also good at telling if someone was hiding something. "A day." Leinad waited a moment before saying, "I'm on it." About an hour later, the refrigerator was working again. Again, Jonathan Norell felt both prideful and a little embarrassed that Leinad was such a success, despite his early childhood. 'I wonder if he even knows what happened,' Jonathan thought for what was not the first time. ---- 3:45 PM Leinad walked back into his room after repairing the refrigerator and began to tinker with a small PDA he found in a dumpster. When he found it, its screen was broken and it had a hole through the middle. Since he started working on it, though, it had begun to look less and less like a piece of junk. He knew that Jonathan Norell and his family supported his tendency to take junked electronics and make them work again. However, they never mentioned a thing about where he came from and what happened to his real parents. 'They don't have to,' Leinad thought, 'I know enough already.' He had, burned into his memory, the scene of a large, gorilla-like creature firing some sort of projectile rifle at a woman and the munition piercing her heart. He knew this woman was his mother, the creature: his parents' murderer. He heard the door to his room open and he heard a voice say, "Hello." Leinad turned around quickly and saw his oldest Foster-Brother in the doorway. "Herol," he said neutrally. Herol frowned, "Not thinking about those dreams you had again are you?" Herol asked. "Herol, stop, I know they're not dreams." Herol was a pacifist, and knew that hate fueled war, so he didn't like Leinad pondering the death of his parents. He knew it would lead Leinad on a quest to hunt down the creature responsible for his parents' murder. And that's the last thing Herol wanted. "Listen, Leinad, stop thinking about it. I mean, I would be angry too if something killed my parents when I was a baby, but wanting to hunt the murderer down will not bring your parents back......" "Herol, you're talking to an 8 year old who seems like he should be preparing for college. I think I know that," Leinad turned back, "But I could stop other families from suffering the same fate." That was one thing Herol could admit about Leinad: at least he was selfless. "Leinad, I don't know another child who could turn a junk PDA shell into a high-tech hand-held database. But, Leinad, you're only 8. You don't have super-powers. You cannot do a bloody thing about it. Leinad, you're a good kid. But this......obsession would consume even the best of men. I don't want you to be consumed by this hatred and see you end up like many corrupt people from the past. Obsessions like this can KILL! Both the obsessed and innocent people caught in the middle. I don't want that to happen to you." Leinad lowered his head. He and Herol have had this conversation many times before. And each time, it ended the same way: "I won't end up like them, but I won't forget what he has done. I won't let a bloodthirsty killer like that......whatever it was, destroy any more families." Clearly defeated, Herol left. He didn't want Leinad to be corrupt, but his argument always was convincing. However, Herol knew that eventually, Leinad would someday pursue that murderer. The best Herol could ever do is hope that, when Leinad does, he has something to back him up. ---- October 21 1998 12:10 AM EST It was autumn, the time of year the Norells would normally plan their yearly vacation. However, because of a shortage in money, they had to take it earlier to have a chance to do it. Jonathan, Lucy, Herol, Bryan, Jennifer, and Lindsey Norell, as well as Leinad Llehctim, who turned 9 two months ago, were going to the United States for vacation. They were currently in Virginia, near where the town of Jamestown was. They would normally go out to the West, but, ever since adopting Leinad, Jonathan thought that going near Nevada (or Alaska for that matter) was a bad idea. So, they go visit the 'Original 13 Colonies'. The Norells usually enjoyed these trips. However, Leinad usually kept to himself, usually sitting alone by any body of water near to where they were staying. This trip was no different. However, tonight, things would change for him. He sat by a small pond outside the hotel the Norells were staying at. Suddenly, he felt the sensation of someone behind him. He turned around quickly. Seeing no-one, he turned back around, but, when he did, he saw a swirling mass of green mist appear. Leinad backed up, but kept his eyes on the mass. "Stop" he heard a voice say. Leinad kept backing up, but said in a hard voice, "Show yourself." The response startled him. "I am in front of you. ''" Any other kid would turn tail and run, ignorant of where the voice came from. However, Leinad, not an ordinary kid, simply said, in the same hard voice, "The cloud of green mist......or would the term ECTOPLASMIC ENERGY be more fitting!" The cloud immediately manifested into the form of a young man in a green cloak. "Smart kid." Leinad, his voice growing harder, asked, "Who are you?" "Relax," said the entity, "for I mean no harm. My name will not be said to you, but for the sake of conversation, call me......Etibeci." "Ok, Etibeci,' Leinad said, cautiously, "Why are you here?" "Have you heard of Human-Ghost Joining?" the ghost asked. "The fusion of a living creature and an undead spirit, yes I have," Leinad responded, "usually when a Ghost finds a suitable host, it joins with the host, consuming its mind, taking the body as its own. Neither alive nor dead." "But," Etibeci said, "there are those ghosts who do not consume the living being's mind." "Yes, I heard of that," Leinad stated, "those ghosts were the rare few on benevolent heart in life and after death. They do it to further both their own and the host's life......" Leinad immediately began to grow suspicious, "Why are you here?" "We are one of same heart," Etibeci said, "I have followed you through your life. You harbor hate to that creature that murdered your parents, but, nobly, you do not seek vengeance. Rather, you seek to not see anyone suffer the way you have. This is an honorable cause." Leinad looked skeptical, but listened. "I do not wish to steal your life, Leinad Llehctim. Rather, I wish to give you what you need to fulfill your goal. If we join, you can have time to prepare and grow, and one day, you will be able to end that monster. Destroy it before it destroys more." Leinad looked at the ghost and stated, "I have done research. It was not of our time. I do wish it dead, to protect others, but I have no way of stopping it......" Leinad realized something. "Why are you here?" he asked for the third time. The ghost waited, and said, "A storm is coming. One that will swallow not only land and ocean, but world, star, space, and time. Leinad immediately understood. "Temporal Disruption." "Right," the ghost said, "and you will meet that beast again. Again, I offer: join with me, and we can defeat this threat, make the world a better place for all." Leinad heard the statement said so many times, in so many movies, by the villain to the hero, but he knew this was no movie, and he knew that this being did mean what it said in the best of possible ways. He nodded, and said, "Yes." Etibeci Nodded in return and stated, "Now, we join our strengths: my powers and your intelligence, and now, our parallel determination to defend our world, joins us together, as one being, as one defender." Etibeci reached out, and Leinad did so as well. When their hands touched, Etibeci turned into a swirling mass of green mist that surrounded Leinad and, after a moment, disappeared. Leinad heard the ghost say in Leinad's mind, "Now, we are one." Then, Leinad heard someone shout, "Leinad!" He turned, and saw Herol and Lindsey appear. "Where were you?" "Out here," Leinad replied, "You should have known." Herol then said, "You really should have been inside. You got the others worried." Leinad then said, "Well, I guess we should go inside." Then, Leinad started in. However, Herol knew there was something different about him, but, then again, when was he ever sure of how Leinad would act? Chapter 3: Things Fall Apart November 13, 1999 12:00 AM, IDL It came like an approaching storm: winds kicked up all over the globe. Then, the oceans were covered with a blanket of electricity. What no one could figure out was why none of the fish died. Then, it came like a hurricane that affected the whole globe. Whole cities disappeared, people vanished without a trace. Then things got extremely weird: individuals, orbital structures, and whole mechanisms appear where none were before. People entered into a panic, and riots broke out in every major city in almost every nation, as unknown individuals began attacking military bases across the globe. A small group of people, led by several of the unknown men and the US president, began mobilizing against the threat. However, as it was yet to be bothered, Britain stayed out of it and went on with life, business as usual. ---- December 25, 1999 11:30 AM Leinad woke up. It was Christmas Day. More specifically, it was December 25th, a date Leinad dreaded: the Anniversary of his parents' murder. This day was when he kept to himself the most. People tend to ask him, "What do you have against Christmas?" He always responded, "It's not Christmas that bothers me, it’s the date the holiday had to be put on that gets on my nerves!" Normally, Jonathan and Lucy let Leinad wake up on his own, as he doesn't enjoy the day, so he wouldn't join in on celebrations. Leinad got dressed and went down-stairs. "You're up?" Lucy asked, "Did we wake you or anything?" "No," Leinad interrupted," I got up on my own." "Ok," Lucy said. "I'll just head outside," Leinad said. When Leinad got outside, he fired a beam of ectoplasmic energy at a rock, blasting it into pieces and throwing gravel and snow into the air. 'Not a fan of Christmas, huh?' Etibeci sounded in his mind. 'It's not Christmas that bothers me,' Leinad thought to the ghost, 'Just December 25th.' 'Oh,' the ghost responded. Leinad went into a small crevice and sat down, trying to think. But only one thought replayed in his mind: the death of his parents. Suddenly, his thoughts were (fortunately) interrupted by a young girl's voice. "Hey, Leinad, why are you out here all by yourself?" Leinad looked up and saw his foster-sister, Jennifer. She was about Leinad's age, but was always upbeat, which contrasted with Leinad's loner personality. Leinad just sat there. "Come on," Jennifer continued, "Come inside, you can't stay out here forever." "Why do you always try?" Leinad asked, "You know I don't like this date." Jennifer always tried to look at the positive side, which gave Leinad mixed feelings about his foster-sister: it was refreshing at times, however sometimes, like now, it was anything but. "Because you can't just not like this day forever," she said, "One day, you will probably have to get over your grudge and just move on with life." Leinad sighed and said, "I'll be in in a few minutes." Jennifer nodded and went back into the house. Leinad began to get up to go inside, but then saw a spark in the sky. "What the hell......" Leinad said, as the spark exploded and out came a starship. ---- Tartorus had waited a long time for this moment. For a month or so, he had been searching for the baby that escaped his grasp 9 of this timeline's years ago, and now he can finally destroy the child. "Prepare Gravitational Projector," Tartorus ordered. ---- The spark at the bottom of the ship was his only warning, but Leinad caught it. He ran to the house and burst through the door. "What's wrong?" Jonathan asked, worried. "We got a problem: a 3-kilometer LONG problem!" Leinad panted. Jonathan, Lucy, and Herol looked outside and saw the Covenant Assault Carrier over the city. Jonathan muttered, "Bloody Hell......" and immediately shouted, "Everyone down into the basement, NOW!!!!!" However, despite the warning, Leinad didn't move, because, with his powers, he sensed the commander of the ship. "It's him," Leinad whispered, "It's him again, that bastard who killed my parents." However, he heard a voice from behind him. "Leinad!" Herol shouted, "Come on!" The Assault Carrier fired its cannon, and Leinad heard in his mind, 'I'm taking over for now, TRUST ME!' It was Etibeci. Etibeci shouted to Herol, using a warped version of Leinad's voice, "Get Down!" The shockwave was seconds away when Etibeci brought the barrier up. Moments later, the shockwave hit the Norell's house, and the building collapsed on top of them. ---- December 25, 1999 7:21 PM The ruins of the British city were scorched, the ground glassed. The city was as desolate as space itself. However, some of the rubble began to shift and, moments later, the area under the debris glowed green. Not long after, a bulge formed in the rubble pile. Then, abruptly, the bulge exploded, and Leinad crawled from the wreckage. He looked around, the whole area around him only glass and debris. "What?!" he said in shock, "NO!" He stood there, stunned, and whispered, "The others......" "''Dead, " Etibeci's voice said, as a swirling mass of ectoplasmic energy materialized in the form of Etibeci's main form, "Like you almost were." Leinad looked where he last remembered the Covenant Ship being. "That ship's commander......was him, the one who killed my parents. That monster......Tartorus." Etibeci slid to Leinad's side and said, "So I sensed. This is what I meant. He and his ilk are now of this time, as, now, time has no more meaning." Leinad looked down, and said, "No more." Etibeci slid closer and asked, "Say again?" Leinad looked up, and said, "No more. No more pain, no more suffering. I now have nothing to lose. But others do. Herol once said to me, 'You don't have super-powers. You cannot do a bloody thing about it.' Well......now that's no longer the case. With you with me, I have the power it takes to beat that monster. So, no more pain, suffering, or loss for anyone else. He's right about one thing: I can't do it alone, but......" Leinad looked straight at Etibeci's 'eyes', smiled, and said, "Together, we can beat him." Etibeci smiled, and said, "So, what's the plan?" "We need transportation. We're heading for Alaska." As they left, 'Etibeci' sensed something: 2 lives under the rubble, fully capable of digging themselves out. 'Can it be?' 'Etibeci' thought so that Leinad didn't know. 'Should I......no, too soon. I shall save this, for times most dire. When he needs this boost.' And with that, they left, never to return. Chapter 4: Foes are Selected December 30, 1999 9:23 AM Nod had a secretly constructed airbase in Britain. From there, they launched multiple air-raids against UNSC and GDI bases in Continental Europe. The base had sensors set up to detect and UNSC or GDI force that came near. However, what those sensors weren't calibrated to find was a boy with ectoplasmic powers. "Are you sure this is wise?" asked Etibeci nervously. "I'm sure," Leinad said, "We just need to steal one of their more useless fighters." He pulled out a device from his pocket. It was the PDA he had been working on for 2 years. Other than some clothes and food, it was the only one of his possessions that survived the attack. Typing in a command, he hacked into the Nod computer and looked at the vehicle registry. "Looks like they have an old Mirage 50 in one of the closer hangers," Leinad said slyly, "If we can take that, we might be able to make it somewhere where I can modify the thing." Etibeci made a sound, signaling his agreement. Leinad crept forward, toward the hanger, the Shadows guarding the base not even knowing he's there. ---- A Nod Shadow stood in the hanger. Although the Mirage-50 he was guarding was out of date, it was selected to be the testing-vehicle for an experimental Plasma-Solar Generator, allowing it to fly for days, even weeks without refueling, so it was placed in the Shadow patrol routes. However, he was the only one actually guarding the thing. He heard a twig snap and some metallic banging. He looked and saw a figure in a hole in the wall. He turned on his comm and said, "Warning, intruder in the Mirage......" he didn't finish, as he was struck by a bolt of green energy. "Shit," Leinad said, "he sounded the alarm." Then, several Nod Shadows entered the hanger. "Hold it, kid," the lead Shadow said. Leinad stared at the Shadow, or at least he seemed like he was, but he was really listening to a mental message from Etibeci. "Concentrate and contain ectoplasmic energy, and hold it until it is at a critical level. The resulting shockwave should not affect the Mirage, but should seriously damage the Nod Soldiers." Leinad did so, and, then, said to the Nod Soldier, "Go to Hell." The Nod Shadow advanced......and the pent-up ectoplasmic energy exploded. A moment later, Leinad stood in the middle of the hanger, the bodies of the Shadows strewn all over the floor. He picked up one of the auto-pistols, but much of the casing was cracked. He put it in a small sack he found on another Shadow. Afterwards, not wasting any more time, he approached the Mirage-50. "Wow," he said, "Looks like they were working on a new power system. That should improve the range of this crate." He then climbed in the cockpit. "You DO know how to fly one of these things, right?" Etibeci asked nervously. Leinad didn't answer. He wasn't really sure himself. He read a lot about how to pilot a jet fighter, but never tried before. "We'll find out soon enough." Pulling together all he read, Leinad prepared all that he could and activated the plane. He was taxiing to the runway, when he saw a pair of Nod AA guns and Rocket Militants approach the airstrip. Cursing under his breath, he pushed the throttle. The Mirage's engines seem to be upgraded too, as it sped up the run-way, past the Nod AA, and lifted off. Over the radio, a Nod Commander said, "Mirage-50X, return and land, or be destroyed." Leinad ignored the warning. He came too far to turn around, especially for a hot-headed Nod leader. He heard the Nod commander order aircraft to intercept him. Moments later, a pair of Nod MiG-31s, accompanied by 7 Su-15s, launched from the Nod base and vectored for an intercept. Leinad pushed the engine to its limit, leaving the Su-15s far behind. However, the MiGs matched his speed and kept up the intercept. Then, a beeping sounded. Leinad read enough to know what that meant. "Damn, missile lock," he snarled, as he put the fighter into a dive. The MiG's missile followed his maneuver. Leinad then saw a small ridge below. "That all you have? Well, beggars can't be choosers," he said as he put the fighter in a steeper dive, pulling up just above the ground. Fortunately, his powers also raised his already high reflexes, and his powers seemed to make him more tolerant to G-forces. He flew straight at the ridge, and, at last second, swerved. The Nod missile slammed into the ridge at high speed, detonating the ridge, but was now off Leinad's tail. However, the MiGs were closing in. Suddenly, someone said over the radio, "Unidentified aircraft, state your ID and affiliation." Leinad knew immediately that was no Nod Officer. He said over the com, "I do not have an ID, or an affiliation, and this fighter is one I just stole from a Nod airfield, but I've got a pair of Nod MiG-31s on my tail and I cannot shake them." The unknown officer then said, "Where are you from, and how old are you?" 'Damn,' Leinad thought, 'he probably guessed my age.' He then responded, "All you need to know is that I'm from Britain, and my destination is Alaska, now, if you are any enemy of Nod, you would help me out here by eliminating these fighters." There was a moment of silence, until the officer said, "You will land on the carrier USS Nimitz, but we are vectoring 2 F-22As to eliminate those fighters......and you, if you do not comply." After cursing under his breath, Leinad said, "Acknowledged." He then thought to Etibeci, 'Well, at least its US forces.' Etibeci responded, 'And it'll probably be only a minor set-back.' 'I hope,' Leinad responded. ---- Leinad was escorted by a US security guard to the bridge. The Captain, who had enough problems at this time, snapped, "What's this kid doing here?" The guard said, "Sir, this is the person that was piloting the Mirage. Don't ask me how it’s possible, but he was the pilot." The Captain walked up to Leinad and asked, "What's your name?" Leinad just looked at him and, after a few moments, said, "That, I do not feel obliged to answer right now." The Captain's temper momentarily flared, but tried to push it down when he asked, "Why not?" "My home was blasted, I've been hunted by Jiralhanae, AND, to top it all off, I just escaped getting blasted by some Nod scum. You really expect me to immediately divulge ANYTHING?" The Captain was furious at the kid's arrogance, but had to admit: he had nerve, as well as a point. But nerve wasn't going to help him all the time. The captain was about to make his position clear when the ship rocked. Leinad then said, startled, "Missile impact! Probably an LASM." Ignoring him, the captain demanded, "Damage Report!" The ship's engineer said, "The kid's right. LASM came under our AA and struck our starboard side." Then, the radar officer shouted, "We have 7 Su-15s, and some other planes. Identified: Vertigo Bombers." "They must have followed me from the Nod base," Leinad said in disgust. "Sir, none of our pilots are ready and the F-22s are still after those MiGs." Just then Leinad said, "I'll handle this," and began to leave. The captain then snapped, "I never said you can leave." Leinad simply responded, "I never asked," and left. The security guard came over to the Captain and asked, "Should I get him?" The Captain thought for a moment and said, "No. Whether I like it or not, he's the only one available." The Captain turned and said, "Prepare the kid's fighter for take-off." ---- Leinad was glad to find that the Captain saw things his way, as he found his Mirage on the Carrier's deck. "Good luck kid," an engineer said, "You're pretty much the only one that can keep us from getting blown out of the water." Leinad nodded and loaded up. Then, Etibeci then made known, 'You know, this will only be the 2nd time you're flying this heap. Now, you expect to use it to fight 7 or so other planes, most with pilots with YEARS of experience?' 'Don't doubt what I can do,' Leinad responded, 'You of all individuals should know to follow that.' He climbed into the cockpit and after a minute or so, the Nod fighters arrived. By then, though, Leinad was in the air. The Nod Fighters spotted Leinad's plane take off and launched a set of Long-Range Anti-Air Missiles. Leinad spotted them and suddenly heard Etibeci say in his mind, 'Concentrate on their tracking systems and gather energy there.' Leinad did so and the LRAAs swerved into each other, as their tracking systems overloaded. Leinad then launched his own missiles. Then Etibeci said, 'Concentrate on the front of the missiles and try to guide them to their target.' Leinad did so and the missiles struck home, the 4 unlucky Nod Fighters becoming no more than fire-balls. The other Nod Fighters then lost concentration on the Nimitz and began concentrating on Leinad. Leinad then thrust his fighter forward and fired his cannon. The additional momentum granted from being fired from a speeding fighter caused massive damage to 3 Nod Su-15s. The Vertigo Bombers then turned tail when their escorts were destroyed, but then the F-22s returned and blasted the Bombers out of the sky. He was then called by the captain of the Nimitz. "Well done kid. I guess I was wrong about you. You may be young, and I mean YOUNG, but you're one hellava pilot. Continue with what you were doing. Sorry to have delayed you." Leinad then set his fighter to full throttle, heading to Alaska. ---- Having heard of him helping the USS Nimitz, the US Airforce Base in Alaska allowed Leinad to land and store his fighter there, a favor from the Captain of the Nimitz. Then, he went off to the Aleutian Islands and searched until he found a certain, heavily frozen house. Etibeci immediately guessed what was there. 'This......is where your parents died, isn't it?' 'Yes, I think,' Leinad said. He walked into the house and found frozen shards of flesh, which he guessed to be his father's remains. He walked down the exposed hall and through a door and found a woman, frozen solid and a red spot where her heart was. "My mother......" Leinad said silently to himself. 'I'm sorry,' Etibeci said sympathetically. Leinad crouched next to his mother's body, then covered it with a nearby blanket. He then heard a crash and a clatter as the blanket dragged something with it. He turned and, in a pile of shattered glass, spotted a gleam of metal. Leinad reached down, took the bit of metal, pulled it out and found out it was an ancient Longsword. He looked next to it and found a small plate that had 'Ancient Runed Longsword, Origin Unknown' engraved on it. Etibeci made a sound. 'I do not believe it. The Vesracolian.' 'The what?' Leinad responded. 'An ancient longsword of incredible power,' Etibeci answered, 'I thought it was only a myth.' Leinad picked it up by the handle and suddenly the runes morphed to read 'Vesracolian, Elemental Blade, "The Pursuit of Honor is always to be treasured and can be the answer to all the injustice in this world."'. Leinad examined it, and stated, "My father found it. He must have still been studying it before......" He stopped mid-sentence, as he heard a knock on the wall. Then, a Marine appeared in the doorway. "Hey, kid, I know you're here. I was sent to get you. You appear to be wanted at the Military Base in San Francisco." Deciding he spent enough time here, he went to follow the marine. "What's with the sword?" the Marine asked. Leinad just answered, "It's mine." He silently corrected to Etibeci, 'as in, it's OURs, now.' Chapter 5: Lone Wolf Leinad enters the main command center of a US Military Base in San Francisco. Apparently, the US Government heard of how he did in defending the USS Nimitz and wanted to find out more about him. Etibeci thought to him, 'Have you thought of a false name yet?' The 2 had decided that Leinad should not use his real name in front of anybody: as far as anyone knew, he had died in Britain, and, because of the advantage that gave him both socially and militarily, he had no wish to 'enlighten' them just yet. He came up to a door, guarded by 2 marines. "So you're the kid called by the brass," he said. Leinad Nodded. The marine opened the door. "In there." Leinad walked in, and found himself in the middle of a Control Room. A man wearing the uniform of a Brigadier General of the Marine Corps was in the center of the room. He said, "So you're the one that helped out the Nimitz?" Leinad stood still. The Brigadier General then asked, "What's your name?" Leinad was just about to say something when an explosion rocked the base. "What was that?" the Brigadier General asked, demandingly. "Large bomb, same type used by those NOD Vertigo Bombers," one of the attendants reported. Another explosion sounded, then a familiar splashing sound. "Plasma impact," Leinad said. As if to confirm this, a bluish explosion blasted the door open, and a squad of Cone-backed Grunts ambled in, each one wielding a Plasma Pistol. They began opening fire but everyone ducked for cover. Leinad looked over and saw the body of a guard, with a pistol next to it. Leinad snuck over and grabbed it. He turned to the Brigadier General and said, "On your way, I'll deal with these beasts." The Brigadier General waited a moment, then, escorted by some personel, retreated. Leinad looked out from behind his cover and fired on some of the Grunts. 4 of them squealed as they died. Suddenly, a Brute Chieftain burst in and swung a Gravity Hammer at Leinad's position. Leinad rolled, dodging the Brute's attack. He prepared to fire a beam of Ectoplasmic Energy at the Brute when 'Etibeci' sent a message. 'Think Cold.' Leinad didn't know what he meant, but did so and when the beam fired, what looked like blue electrical bolts fired out. When the Brute was struck, it froze, not as in stopped moving, but LITERALLY froze. Leinad mentally asked, 'How long have you known?' 'Just now, but I've had my hopes.' Leinad decided to use this new ability to his advantage. When the Covenant force was defeated, 'Etibeci' explained, 'Most so-called fusions have Elemental abilities. We both seemed to be associated with Ice, so I wanted to see if that was your Elemental Power-Set.' Leinad accepted this fact. A moment later, the Brigadier General returned. "Ok, kid, now I'm serious. Who the hell are you?!" Leinad looked at the Brigadier General, as he finally decided on a pseudonym. "You can call me......IceBite." ---- IceBite walked out of the command center. The US Military hired him for a small job: scout around San Francisco. There were reports of a small Nod Research Facility hidden in the city, and a young boy who apparently escaped the facility. IceBite was hired to find one, the other, or both. 'Ok, what are you doing?' Etibeci asked Leinad. The latter mentioned, 'We're going to need money for supplies and this is the only way to obtain it right now.' However, he heard a loud commotion from alleyways in the city. 'We're investigating that, aren't we?' Etibeci thought to Leinad, who made no response as he headed for the commotion. ---- A young 14-year old girl fled into an alley. She was being chased by a helmeted man in a black jumpsuit. Unfortunately, she ran straight into another man of that description. He smacked her and she fell to the ground. "You're coming with us," the man said as he reached down at her. Suddenly, the girl noticed something on the roof on a nearby building: a person hanging over the edge. A moment later, the person leapt off......at the man assaulting her. ---- IceBite leapt off the ledge and pulled out Vesracolian. He impaled one of the Shadows with it, and flipped over the girl, landing between the girl and the Shadows. He pulled out a small project he had been working on: a small, hand-held railgun he called the 'MAC Pistol'. "Stay away from her, or you won't live to see another day," he said, grimly. The Shadows didn't back off. So, in responce, IceBite fired his weapon. Encased in bluish energy, the bullet shot forward and skewered a Nod Shadow. The others then became a little more nervous, but IceBite quickly dispatched them as well. When no more Shadows were remaining, he turned to help the girl up. "Thank you," she said. "What's your name?" IceBite asked, neutrally. "Umm......Winter. Winter Yale," the girl responded. "Well, Winter, be sure to be careful around here," IceBite said before leaving. "Thanks again!" he heard Winter shout from behind him. ---- IceBite, even though the girl was no longer in sight, he looked back in her direction. She seemed to be in her teenage years. She seemed nice, but was not the person he was looking for. However, he decided to put her in the report, in case the US would need to find her. Suddenly, he heard some thumps and saw that he was suddenly surrounded by a group of Shadows, all of them on the rooftops around him. "It's him! The kid that knocked out the team in England!" one Shadow shouted in shock. "Well," said another Shadow, "Let's get him." The Shadows prepared to attack him and IceBite pulled out both his MAC Pistol and the Longsword from Alaska, Vesracolian, and prepared for battle. Suddenly, something rushed into the fray, and knocked 3 of the Shadows out of the fight. IceBite got a good look at the individual: a young boy, roughly his own age, with pale blue hair and similarly colored eyes. He had an almost innocent look to him, but his expression was one of rage. He then saw IceBite, and his rage subsided. He leapt of the 3 story building, but landed without even flinching. He grabbed IceBite's arm and said, "Come with me." He then pulled IceBite away, as the Shadows opened fire. Next thing IceBite knew, he had been dragged to some sort of shelter, in the cellar of an abandoned building. The boy turned on a light, revealing the room to look like a cross between a one-room apartment and a lab. The 2 just stared at each other for a moment, before the boy finally said, "My name's Tory Lund. What's yours?" IceBite looked over Tory again, and decided he was the young boy he was sent to find. He neutrally responded, "IceBite." Tory just said, nervously, "What are you doing out there, with all those guys out there?" IceBite merely said, "Classified," which wasn't a lie: his mission, although insignificant compared to the FBI's missions, was labeled classified. "Oh," Tory responded, "You're with the government?" "That's classified, too." "Oh." Tory seemed to think for a moment, before saying, "You have anywhere else to stay." IceBite thoguht for a moment, and said, "No." Tory then suggested, "Want to stay here for a bit? It's a lot safer here. Those bad guys haven't found me yet." IceBite responded, "Don't underestimate Nod Shadows. They can be tricky." Tory responded, "Oh, ok, well, still, want to stay here?" IceBite responded, "I guess. I'll just have to contact my employers......" "Employers? What are you exactly?" "A mercenary." ---- IceBite stayed the night in Tory's place. He contacted the base to tell them that he made contact with the boy, and gave the coordinates to the holdout to them, after gaining Tory's permission of course. IceBite found Tory to be a gracious host, and he seemed really nice. So nice, in fact, that IceBite couldn't help but warm up to him. However, he couldn't stay, he had to continue looking for the Nod lab. However, before he left, Tory caught up to him. "I see that PDA you have is like a phone. You think we can share Comm Codes? You know, in case I ever need help......or......maybe you just want to chat?" Any other time, he would have said no, but something about Tory softened him. "Sure," he said, "Why not?" Tory seemed overjoyed with IceBite's answer. "Thanks. Well, looks like you have things to do. See you around IceBite." At that moment, a little bit of care showed, and he decided to give Tory a privilege that, in the future, he'd only rarely give out. "Please, just call me Leinad." Chapter 6: Partners July 10, 2001 3:57 PM IceBite entered the United States Military base. He'd been called on again to help the military to fight the forces of the Brotherhood of Nod. Recently, they've been sending supply convoys through United States territory. Therefore, IceBite was being sent to intercept this convoy. "So, I just need to do whatever I can to intercept this convoy, and I get my normal pay, plus whatever I can recover from the cargo vehicles?" IceBite asked. "Within reason, of course," the US Brigader responded. IceBite took the toothpick he had in his mouth, took it out, and tapped it on the table. "I'll get right on it. Just ready my Orca and I'll head out." "Oh, one more thing..." the Brigader interrupted. IceBite raised an eyebrow. Conditions... he thought, these are NEVER good... "I need you to bring 2 of our men with you. With you this mission, we're assigning Privates Sanders and Powers to you. You will be meeting them at a point near the convoy's determined path," the Brigader said. IceBite sighed: he worked alone for a reason, because he didn't get along with others...except for that 'Tory' kid he met several months back: he still talks to him from time to time. He also got a few letters from the girl he rescued that day as well, telling him that she was safe and not being hunted anymore. However, a job was a job. "Very well..." he sighed, and he left. After locating his Orca Gunship, he departed to the rendezvous point. ---- Chapter 7: A Second Chance (IceBite, Derek, and John Powers assigned to a mission to South Dakota) Chapter 8: All was Not Lost (IceBite finds his sister) Chapter 9: United (The Quartet spearhead the final fight to re-take South Dakota/IceBite kicks Tartorus's a** with his new Elemental Form) Chapter 10: The Foundation of Future Days (Derek, and Adriana meet Allos with IceBite, Allos evolves, the Quartet Starts Hellcat Squadran) Epilogue: The First of Many (Tory joins Hellcat Squadran) Characters *Leinad 'IceBite' Llehctim *Tartorus *Vladmir Llehctim (Leinad's Father) *Elizabeth Ilene (Leinad's Mother) *Rtas 'Vadum *Herol Norell (Leinad's Foster-Brother) *Jonathan Norell (Herol's Father) *Lucy Norell (Herol's Mother) *Bryan Norell (Herol's Younger Brother) *Lindsey Norell (Herol's Sister (only 1 year younger)) *Jennifer Norell (Herol's Youngest Sister) *Nod Shadows *Unknown Captain of the USS Nimitz *Unknown Marine Brigadier General *Winter *Tory Lund *Derek Sanders (USMC Marine spotter) *John Powers (USMC Marine sharp shooter) *Adriana Llehctim (Leinad's Sister, Leader of the South Dakota Resistance) *'Samurai' (2nd in Command for the South Dakota Resistance) *Allos Category:Stories